When we want to heal after tragedy, we look for answers. Answers aren’t easy—if there are answers at all. People reassured me a car crash wasn’t my fault, even though I was behind the wheel drunk, because it was an “accident.” “Accident” was their answer, and it seemed to provide closure. The word “accident” made […]
On Planning
I’m not a natural planner. I was born to go with the flow (Hello, Pisces!). Spreadsheets and lists make me want to run for the hills. And please don’t ask me to write an outline. But over the years, I have succumbed to the daily planner and made great use of it until the pandemic. […]
On Reflection
There’s no way around it: 2020 felt like walking blindfolded onto a roller coaster with no safety harnesses. How do I reflect on the year when I’m still holding on for dear life, and the roller coaster hasn’t stopped? I follow the advice of fellow Waterwheel Review editor, Claire Guyton: “I’m doing two things this […]
To Have a House
Four years ago, when it was clear the people in our country were so divided, I decided to focus on what unites us. My mind naturally went to “home.” Everyone in the country has a relationship with the inanimate place we call a house. Yet, the depth of a house’s impact often goes unnoticed. When […]
On Plenty
Recently, I came across Henry David Thoreau’s well-known quote, “The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.” His sentiment inspired a Google search where I found Just Enough is Plenty by Samuel Alexander, a book […]
On Optimism
A recent Washington Post headline, “Time to ditch ‘toxic positivity,’ experts say: ‘It’s okay not to be okay,’” made me question whether I have answered too many pandemic texts with an “always look on the bright side of life” attitude. The answer: probably. I have a history of optimism. For example, when I was twenty, […]
